Feasibility of including APF gel application in a school oral health promotion program as a caries-preventive agent: a community intervention trial

Abstract

A community intervention trial was conducted to assess the feasibility of APF gel as a caries-preventive agent in a high-risk group of school children in Bangalore City. The study was conducted in two schools, randomly selected from a list of schools catering to underprivileged children. These schools were randomly allocated into experimental and control groups. Children aged 9-16 years having three or more incipient or cavitated primary or secondary carious lesions were enrolled in the study. In the experimental group, APF gel was applied and oral health education was provided to both groups at baseline and 6 months. Follow-up examination was performed at 6 and 12 months and the caries status was recorded by an investigator who was blinded to the allocation of intervention. There was no statistically significant difference in DMFT and DMFS values, but a significant difference was seen in incipient carious lesions between the experimental and control groups at 6 and 12 months. These results suggest that biannual APF gel application is an effective preventive measure in reversing incipient carious lesions.